[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hakuouki_anime_01_1003.jpg]]->''At the end of an era, the men of the Shinsengumi struggle to uphold the samurai ideal. When a young girl is thrust into their midst, she finds herself irrevocably tied to to their tragic fate.''

In Kyoto, Japan, near the end of the [[JidaiGeki Edo period]], a young boy is being chased through the streets at night by a pair of revolutionaries loyal to the Emperor. Hiding in an alley, the boy is horrified to witness his pursuers' brutal murder at the hands of demonic looking men with [[RedEyesTakeWarning glowing red eyes]], who laugh maniacally as they hack their victims to pieces. When the fiends turn their attention to the boy, his life is only spared by the timely appearance of two samurai belonging to a group of powerful warriors loyal to the Shogun, known as the {{Shinsengumi}}. Unsure just where the boy's loyalties lie, the Shinsengumi take him into custody and return him to their headquarters.

The next day, they are shocked to discover that the "boy" being held prisoner is, in fact, a ''girl'' named Chizuru Yukimura. Chizuru came to Kyoto in search of her missing father, an accomplished doctor of western medicine who she suddenly lost contact with several months ago. When the Shinsengumi reveal that they too have been in search of Dr. Yukimura in relation to the strange attacks that have been plaguing the city, they allow Chizuru to remain under their care and assist with the search. Agreeing to continue living as a boy so as not to distract the men who serve her new benefactors, Chizuru quickly becomes acclimated to their lifestyle and grows to genuinely care for each of them.

Her life soon becomes anything but peaceful, as the Shinsengumi's enemies seek to overthrow the Shogun and those loyal to him at any cost. At the same time, both the numbers and ferocity of the crazed men that Chizuru's protectors cryptically refer to as "failed soldiers" continue to increase. In the midst of one of the most chaotic eras in Kyoto's history, Chizuru grows determined to do everything she can to protect the lives of her new comrades.

'''''Hakuōki''''' (often [[JapaneseRomanization romanized]] as '''''Hakuouki''''' or '''''Hakuoki''''') is a popular video game franchise developed by Otomate, IdeaFactory, and originally released in Japan in 2008. The series comprises eight different games: two main titles and a fan-disc first released on the PlayStation2, two spinoffs, and three handheld [[GaidenGame gaiden games]]. Most of the games have been ported to multiple platforms (namely: PlayStationPortable, PlayStation3, NintendoDS and Nintendo3DS).

!!!!The Games:* ''Hakuōki ~Shinsengumi Kitan~'' (2008): The first of the two main titles; a [[HistoricalFiction historical]] [[VisualNovel visual novel]] with some [[RomanceGame romance game]] elements.** ''Hakuoki ~Demon of the Fleeting Blossom~'' (2012): The [[http://www.siliconera.com/2011/07/02/hakuoki-demon-of-the-fleeting-blossom-will-be-north-americas-first-otome-game/ North American version of the PSP port]], released by AksysGames.** ''Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi'' (2013): the [[http://www.aksysgames.com/2013/04/23/everlasting-memories-await-you-with-the-men-of-hakuoki/ North American version of the 3DS port]], also released by Aksys.* ''Hakuōki Zuisōroku'' (2009): A collection of side-stories which take place during the events of ''Shinsengumi Kitan''. A visual novel with romance game elements.* ''Hakuōki Yūgiroku'' (2010): A [[MiniGameGame collection of mini-games]] featuring the cast of ''Shinsengumi Kitan''.* ''Hakuōki Reimeiroku'' (2010): The second of the main titles; a historical visual novel and the [[{{Prequel}} prequel]] to ''Shinsengumi Kitan''.* ''Hakuōki Bakumatsu Musōroku'' (2012): A [[HackAndSlash hack-and-slash]] game featuring the cast of ''Shinsengumi Kitan''.** ''Hakuoki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi'' (2013) : The North American localization by Aksys Games.* ''Hakuōki Yūgiroku II: Matsuri Hayashi to Taishitachi'' (2012)* ''Toki no Kizuna ~Sekigahara Kitan~'' (2012): A prequel VisualNovel set in [[JidaiGeki Sengoku period]]. Although it does not share the Hakuōki title, it takes place in the same world, focusing on the oni involvement in the Battle of Sekigahara which Sen and Amagiri mention during ''Shinsengumi Kitan,'' and featuring in its main cast ancestors of several of the original game's oni characters.** ''Toki no Kizuna Hanayuitsuzuri'' (2013): A sequel/side-story to the first ''Sekigahara Kitan''.* ''Urakata Hakuōki'' (2013): A spinoff VisualNovel described as "an 'if' story of Hakuōki," featuring main characters from the opposing side of the original game's conflict.* ''Hakuouki SSL ~Sweet School Life~'' (2013): Another spinoff visual novel set in an AlternateUniverse, with Chizuru and the Shinsengumi attending a modern high school.

The visual novels have been adapted into [[AnimeOfTheGame an anime series]] by StudioDEEN and licensed for release in English by SentaiFilmworks.

* AchillesHeel: Due to their ability to [[HealingFactor instantly heal their wounds]], the Oni and the Rasetsu are [[NighInvulnerable nigh invulnerable]]. They must be stabbed through the heart or decapitated [[DeaderThanDead in order to be killed]].* AdaptationDistillation[=/=]AdaptationExpansion: The anime mainly follows Hijikata's route in the game but adds important scenes from other routes as well as anime-original endings for [[spoiler:Okita and Sanosuke]], who simply disappear in Hijikata's game route. * AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Hijikata to Okita regarding Kondou.* TheAnimeOfTheGame* AnnoyingPatient: Hijikata must constantly stay on Okita's case to keep him out of battle when his health starts going downhill. However, Hijikata himself proves to be an even worse case, as not even Chizuru's best efforts can keep him from running himself ragged; it takes Saito delivering a very pointed smackdown to keep him from taking to the front lines while still badly injured from the battle of Utsunomiya Castle. * AnyoneCanDie: Given the fate of the real-life Shinsengumi, a major character body count is only to be expected.* AssKickingPose: Nearly every single character has one of these in the game.* BandOfBrothers: The Shinsengumi start out as something of a RagtagBunchOfMisfits (in ''Reimeiroku'') and slowly evolve into a BadassCrew, before everything ultimately starts falling apart.* BadassBoast: Hijikata is in no short supply of these. * BigDamnHeroes: Barring a bad end, any time Chizuru is in trouble ''someone'' from the Shinsengumi can be counted on to appear out of nowhere in the nick of time to save her. Hijikata deserves special mention for doing it something like four times in his route. They occasionally pull it for one another as well, such as when [[spoiler:Sanosuke, Shinpachi, and Heisuke all show up in Saito's route to help him take down Kazama]]. * {{Bishonen}}: EVERYWHERE.* BittersweetEnding: Each of the character endings in the game. [[spoiler: Particularly Okita's as he's still dying of tuberculosis on top of living on borrowed time as a fury. Harada's is the only route to mostly avoid the trope and have a genuinely happy ending, but even then the Shinsengumi are no more, the shogunate has fallen, the samurai class has become obsolete, and most of the main cast are dead]].* BladeOnAStick: Sanosuke's preferred weapon is a spear.* BlondGuysAreEvil: Kazama.* BreakTheBadass: This happens to virtually everyone fighting on the losing side of the revolution. Hijikata gets it particularly hard.* ByronicHero: Hijikata. With loss after loss he eventually loses sight of his original TragicDream and decides to live on for the sake of the ones he cares about.* CastFromLifespan: Rasetsu gain [[StockSuperPowers various powers]] at the cost of shortening their lives. * CastFullOfPrettyBoys: Justified since this is about a [[{{Shinsengumi}} military sect]], though the presence of Chizuru makes this more of a ReverseHarem situation.* TheChick: Chizuru quickly becomes this for the Shinsengumi, and the feminine touch she adds to the group is welcomed by most of its members.* CherryBlossom: Both in the title and the final scene of the anime.* ConservationOfNinjutsu: To a point. The Shinsengumi captains and most of the oni are orders of magnitude more effective in combat than any unnamed {{mook}} and are constantly shown mowing them down in droves. On the other hand, the lesser numbers on the shogunate side put the Shinsengumi at a disadvantage throughout the Boshin War, a fact that loses them no few battles. When they learn that Koufu Castle has already been occupied by the enemy, Saito delivers a very grim estimate of the kind of numbers they would need in comparison to the enemy to have any chance of successfully taking the place, and when only one of the three Ezo Republic warships manages to make it to the Battle of Miyako, it dooms the planned surprise attack to failure.* CostumePorn: And ''how''.* CulturalTranslation:** [[{{Youkai}} Oni]]: Demons in the Aksys Games translation, devils in the Sentai Filmworks translation of the anime.** Rasetsu: Furies.** Ochimizu: Water of Life.* CustomUniform: When the Shinsengumi make the change to Western-style uniforms, the rank-and-file troops (and Shimada) wear the plain black uniforms of the period, but Hijikata and all of the captains don incredibly stylish custom outfits with little resemblance to one another aside from a general trend of {{Badass Longcoat}}s and [[WaistcoatOfStyle Waistcoats of Style]].* DeclarationOfProtection: Once they've taken her in, the Shinsengumi captains are entirely committed to protecting Chizuru no matter what difficulty it causes them, and nearly to a man they respond indignantly to any suggestion that it might be better for her to leave, taking it as questioning their ability to handle the challenge.* DespairSpeech: Hijikata when Kondou sacrifices himself so he may live.* {{Determinator}}: All of the Shinsengumi members, but especially Okita and Hijikata. The latter pretty much just stops sleeping entirely for a while after the retreat from Kyoto to Edo.* DiabolusExMachina: Some of the bad endings get kind of gratuitous. A particular example would be the bad end in the last chapter of Hijikata's route: that [[spoiler:he and Kazama [[MutualKill kill one another]]]] is not surprising, but then [[spoiler:Chizuru is fatally shot immediately afterwards just to cap it off]].* DirtyBusiness: Hijikata's opinion of [[spoiler:Itou's assassination]], in nearly so many words: "This is our duty, but that doesn't mean we have to be proud of it. Sometimes the path's dirty."* DistractedFromDeath: In the anime, [[spoiler:Yamazaki]] dies while Chizuru has turned away to prepare water and medicine for him and is cheerfully telling him that he needs to hurry up and get better.* DontYouDarePityMe: Everyone to Chizuru.* DoomedMoralVictor: [[spoiler: The Shinsengumi, from [[{{Narrator}} Chizuru's point of view]] in the Normal route.]]* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: The WHOLE of ''Hekketsuroku'', minus the first 2 or 3 episodes, is basically one long cathartic trip. Likewise, the Normal Ending in the original game is ''extremely'' depressing.]]* TheDulcineaEffect: Surprisingly averted in the early stages of the story - finding out that Chizuru is a girl doesn't have a lot of influence on most of the main characters' attitudes toward her, and they're quite blunt about the possibility that they may have to kill her in order to protect the Shinsengumi. * EmergencyTransformation* EndOfAnAge: The end of an era is one of main themes in ''Hakuouki''.* AFateWorseThanDeath: The game's bad endings, when they don't involve Chizuru's death, sometimes turn in this direction; for example, one bad ending of Sanosuke's route has Kazama catching Chizuru alone, followed by Chizuru's narration saying only that she has no desire to tell what happened after that or how she spent the rest of her days.* FiringOneHanded: Whenever Kyou shoots his gun.* FriendlyEnemy: Despite facing off on several different occasions, Harada Sanosuke and Shiranui Kyo rarely seem to bear one another much real ill will. Almost every time they fight, Chizuru observes that their banter and broad smiles make it seem like they're having a wonderful time. In Harada's route and in the anime, [[spoiler:they unsurprisingly end up as allies of sorts.]]* FromBadToWorse: Season 1 of the anime follows the Shinsengumi as they gain power but season 2 show their decline and remains quite [[AnyoneCanDie faithful]] [[ForegoneConclusion to history]].* GenkiGirl: Sen-hime. * GoodIsOldFashioned: Embodied in Kondou.* GraspTheSun: Souji in the second OP. * GreyAndGrayMorality* HackAndSlash: ''Hakuouki Bakumatsu Musouroku''.* HardWorkHardlyWorks: The show repeatedly and brutally shoots down anyone who says that warriors must fight to the end and that perseverance will prevail.* HalfIdenticalTwin: [[spoiler: Chizuru and Kaoru.]]* HelloInsertNameHere: Since all the games starring Chizuru allow players to change her first name, her name is never mentioned in voiced dialogue. This is averted by ''Reimeiroku'' and ''Bakumatsu Musouroku'' which don't give the player the option at all. Ryuunosuke and Chizuru's names are spoken quite frequently in them.* HelpMistakenForAttack: The early days of the Roshigumi, back when Serizawa was in charge and giving the organization a bad name.* HeroWithBadPublicity: [[SympatheticPOV The Shinsengumi]], particularly in ''Reimeiroku''.* HeroicRROD* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Most of the Shinsengumi in the anime, apart from Hijikata]].* HeroicSpirit: Displayed, in varying degrees, by each of the main characters: ** HeroicResolve** HeroicSecondWind** HeroicWillpower* HeterosexualLifePartners: Harada and Nagakura in the game.* HighSchoolAU: The fan disc contains an unlockable [[SideStoryBonusArt sequence of illustrations]] called "''Hakuouki SSL''" (''Sweet School Life''): a short parody of set in a modern day high school. An animated version was included at the end of the [[BonusMaterial special episodes]] that were offered to fans who bought ''Hekketsuroku'' on DVD, and the concept was later developed into a spinoff VisualNovel.* HistoricalBeautyUpdate* [[HistoricalDomainCharacter Historical Domain Characters]]* HistoricalFiction: With a touch of HistoricalFantasy.* HonorBeforeReason: All of the Shinsengumi, in fact probably the whole point of the story.* IAmAMonster: Several characters, especially [[spoiler:Heisuke]] in his route and also including [[spoiler:Sanan and Okita]], feel this way about their transformation into Rasetsu. Contrast with [[spoiler:Saito and Hijikata; Saito in particular tells Chizuru ahead of time in his route that if duty led him to become a Rasetsu he would not consider it any different from anything else he's done in the service of the Shinsengumi up to that point, and true to his word never looks back once the deed is done]]. * ImplausibleFencingPowers: Whenever [[DodgeTheBullet Sanosuke fights Kyou]].* IneffectualDeathThreat: Okita to Chizuru several time throughout the series.* IncurableCoughOfDeath: [[HistoricalDomainCharacter Three guesses who]].* TheInfiltration** [[spoiler: When Hajime leaves the Shinsengumi for Itou's Guardians of the Imperial Tomb]].** [[spoiler: When Sannan-san "joins forces" with Koudou]].* ImportantHaircut: Most of the main characters get one in the second half of ''Shinsengumi Kitan'', [[RuleOfSymbolism as they are forced to move with the times]].* JapaneseSpirit: Referenced by name when Shiranui quotes Takasugi Shinsaku, and of great importance to the Shinsengumi, Hijikata especially... albeit cast in a more bittersweet light than usual. Resolve and persistence are presented as great virtues of the Shinsengumi, but at the same time it's clear that "fighting spirit" is not enough to make up for the disadvantages they face in the Boshin War. * JerkassFacade: Hijikata deliberately cultivates his demonic image in order to play the [[GoodCopBadCop Bad Cop to Kondou's Good Cop]]. * JidaiGeki: The Bakumatsu period, the [[EndOfAnAge end]] of the Edo era.* KickingAssInAllHerFinery: The main characters get incredibly fancy Western costumes in the second season and conveniently kick more ass in them. * KidHero: Heisuke.* [[spoiler: KillEmAll: The anime's second season.]]* TheKnightsWhoSaySquee: In the beginning everyone thinks the world of [[TheHeart Kondou]], who himself admires the generals in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.* KnowWhenToFoldEm: Shinpachi and Sanosuke, in contrast to Kondou and the other captains, [[spoiler:leave the Shinsengumi when they see the writing on the wall after Koufu, which is one of the reasons that Sanosuke's route has the happiest ending in the game]]. * LastStand: [[spoiler: Harada, Okita, and Saitou.]]* TheLoad: Chizuru, a fact that she's well aware of and frets about often in the game's narration.* MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter: Koudou certainly qualifies as a MadScientist, and Chizuru, despite crossdressing as a boy, is admittedly [[BeautifulAllAlong beautiful]].* ManlyTears: Hijikata for both [[spoiler: Kondou and Okita]].* MercyKill: ** Sanan requests one from Okita after [[spoiler:his modified ochimizu fails to work the way he'd hoped]], although he ends up surviving. ** In bad endings in Saito and Hijikata's routes, Amagiri chooses to kill Chizuru specifically because he feels it would be more merciful than allowing her to suffer at Kazama's hands.* MiniGameGame: ''Yuugiroku'' and ''Yuugiroku 2''.* MoodWhiplash* {{Mooks}}* MoreExpendableThanYou: Hijikata tries to pull this on Kondou, but Kondou isn't having any of it. In the anime, [[spoiler:Kondou's choice to surrender and entrust the Shinsengumi to Hijikata prompts Okita to perform a LastStand protecting Hijikata]].* MultipleEndings* NoBodyLeftBehind: Rasetsu crumble into dust when their lifeforce is used up. This happens to [[spoiler:Heisuke and Sannan-san]] and is heavily implied to have happened to [[spoiler: Okita]].* NotWhatItLooksLike: In his route in ''Zuisoroku'' and his OVA, Hijikata runs into a snag when he tries to extricate Chizuru from her brief stint spying at Sumiya - onlookers take her for the geisha she's dressed as and assume he's either kidnapping her or trying to elope with her without clearing her debt. Trying to explain that she's not actually a geisha fails to convince anyone, and it apparently takes Hijikata a while afterwards to live down the rumors.* OriginalVideoAnimation: ''Hakuouki Sekkaroku''.* OurVampiresAreDifferent: Rasetsu are turned by drinking the Ochimizu, a red liquid originally made from demonic blood. Like vampires, they are [[WeakenedByTheLight nocturnal creatures]] that [[BloodLust subsist on blood]].* NonStandardGameOver: [[TheManyDeathsOfYou Lots and lots of them.]]* PanUpToTheSkyEnding:** In the normal ending of the game ''Shinsengumi Kitan'', Chizuru finds herself gazing up at the sky where she sees the backs of her friends in their pale blue haori, [[spoiler: the bright summer day a stark contrast to their fate]].** ''Hekketsuroku'''s ending is heavily based on the normal ending. [[spoiler: Chizuru sees a vision of the Shinsengumi's banner, "Makoto" (sincerity), fluttering overhead and then, one by one, the men who fought under it]].** Ibuki's portion of of Hijikata's route in ''Reimeiroku'' ends with Ibuki staring at the horizon over the Tama River. The final scene features a cloudy sunset.** ''Reimeiroku'', the anime, ends with a view of the sky.* PaperThinDisguise: Hijikata, Saitou, and Okita recognize Chizuru as a girl the moment she speaks, and Harada and Sanan at least suspect. Only Kondou, Heisuke and Nagakura are actually surprised to learn of her sex.* PostVictoryCollapse: [[spoiler: The anime ends with Hijikata finally defeating Kazama and then collapsing into Chizuru's arms]].* ThePowerOfFriendship: Ultimately, Chizuru becomes one of the strongest things holding the Shinsengumi captains together. Pretty much everyone who leaves or dies has to part with her in particular.* {{Prequel}}: ''Hakuouki Reimeiroku''.* PsychoSerum: The Ochimizu has:** ...its [[SuperSerum pros]]:*** StockSuperpowers: The powers it grants are similar to those of the Oni.** ...and [[TheCorruption cons]]:*** BloodLust: The Rasetsu often experience a craving for blood.*** HarmfulHealing: Their regenerative powers [[CastFromLifespan come at a steep price]].*** [[WeakenedByTheLight Weakness to Sunlight]]*** [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity Insanity]]: [[TragicMonster Most of them]] end up [[AxCrazy losing their minds]] shortly after taking the Ochimizu.* PurpleEyes: [[PurpleIsPowerful Hijikata]], Yamazaki, [[SupernaturalIsPurple Shiranui, and Kimigiku]].* RagtagBandOfMisfits: The Shinsengumi captains. Kondou and Hijikata are the sons of farmers who wouldn't even be allowed to carry swords if the Shinsengumi had not received special permission to do so; Saito is a left-handed swordsman and an exile from his home domain; Heisuke is the bastard son of the Lord of Tsu; Okita is an orphan. By ''Shinsengumi Kitan'' the group has achieved some legitimacy, but ''Reimeiroku'' shows more clearly how unlikely a bunch they are.* RedEyesTakeWarning: The Rasetsu, who are most certainly [[AxCrazy psychotic]], and Kazama, who is even more incredibly dangerous.* RedLightDistrict: Shimabara and Yoshiwara.* RelationshipValues: The player's primary objective in ''Shinsengumi Kitan'' and ''Reimeiroku'' is to forge a bond between the protagonist and one of the main characters. Failing to do so often leads to [[YouLoseAtZeroTrust tragic consequences]], [[spoiler: ranging from [[TheManyDeathsOfYou death]] to [[SurvivorsGuilt survivor guilt]]]].* RomanceGame: ''Hakuouki ~Shinsengumi Kitan~'' and its fan-disc, ''Hakuouki Zuisouroku''.* {{Ronin}}* RunningGag: Hijikata's godawful haiku.* {{Samurai}}: No kidding.* SamuraiPonytail: Pretty much everyone before the switch to Western uniforms. * SchrodingersGun: The characterizations of Kazama, Sanan, and to a lesser extent Koudou vary in the game depending on which route you end up on. In addition, Kaoru is only relevant to the plot in Okita's route and disappears completely from all others.* {{Seppuku}}: Well, this thing ''is'' about samurai.* TheShinsengumi: [[CaptainObvious No, really]]?* ShipperOnDeck: Sen just generally wants Chizuru to be happy, but in Hijikata's route of the game she's actively encouraging of Chizuru's feelings for him, even before Chizuru is sure of her feelings herself. * ShirtlessScene: A [[{{Fanservice}} gratituitous]] Shinsengumi health inspection that even involved a [[PecFlex flex-off]]! {{Parodied}} in ''Sweet School Life''.* SilverBullet: Silver counteracts the Rasetsu HealingFactor, something that the Shinsengumi learn unpleasantly when their enemies start using silver bullets. In Okita's route, taking several of these puts him out of commission until after the Koufu debacle.* SingleStrokeBattle: [[spoiler:Hijikata versus Kazama at the end of Hijikata's route of the game. In his good ending, Hijikata avoids Kazama's blade; in the bad ending it's a MutualKill.]]* SourOutsideSadInside: Hijikata in spades. * SpoilerOpening: The opening sequence of the first season shows [[spoiler:Hijikata's transformation into a Rasetsu]], which only occurs in the last episode of the season. The end sequence of the same season more or less spoils [[spoiler:Kaoru's status as a villain]].* StockSuperpowers: The Oni and, to a lesser degree, the Rasetsu possess all of the following powers:** HealingFactor** SuperReflexes** SuperSpeed** SuperStrength** SuperToughness* TheStoic: Saitou and, to a lesser extent, Hijikata. Also Amagiri Kyuuju, who always fights rather grudgingly, and has several ''extremely'' polite and understated confrontations with Saitou.* SubmissiveBadass: Everyone in the Shinsengumi under Kondou. Special mention goes to Saitou, who does virtually everything Hijikata asks him to do.* SuddenlyVoiced: Chizuru isn't voiced in any of the games that feature her as the protagonist, but she is in ''Reimeiroku'' and ''Bakumatsu Musouroku''.* SupernaturalGoldEyes: When a demon activates their full power, their eyes turn bright gold. The trope is subverted, on the other hand, by Sanosuke, who has golden eyes but is completely human and [[spoiler:is the only potential love interest in the game who never drinks the Water of Life in any route]].* SuperMode: The Oni become more powerful when they [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shift]] into their demonic forms.* SuperSoldier: The Rasetsu Corps was initially meant to be a squad of super soldiers. [[GoneHorriblyWrong However]], their many [[WeakSauceWeakness weaknesses]] tend to make deploying them a [[FlawedPrototype very bad idea]].* SweetPollyOliver: Chizuru dresses as a boy when she travels alone to Kyoto because openly traveling alone as a woman would be much more difficult and more dangerous. When she enters the protection of the Shinsengumi, she keeps up the facade at Hijikata's insistence to avoid causing problems with the group's rank-and-file soldiers. * SwordFight: The bread and butter of the series.* TakingTheBullet: [[spoiler:Okita for Chizuru]] in his route, [[spoiler:just as intended by Kaoru]]. [[spoiler: Chizuru for Sanosuke]] in his route. Examples which involve swords instead of actual bullets include [[spoiler:Yamazaki for Hijikata]], [[spoiler:Koudou for Chizuru]] in several routes, [[spoiler:Okita for Chizuru again]] in one of his bad endings, and [[spoiler:Chizuru for Hijikata]] in one of ''his'' bad endings.* TalkingIsAFreeAction: Almost everyone gets one last speech, be they a speech before a HeroicSacrifice in the middle of battle with explosions all around stopping for the speech, or the FinalSpeech after being mortally wounded.* TeamSpirit* ThemeNaming: Oni names tend to have the character "千" ("a thousand") incorporated into them, either directly or as a component of another kanji. Characters whose names sport this character include [[spoiler:Chizuru, Sen, Kazama (in his given name of Chikage), and Kaoru]], as well as [[spoiler:Kazama Chitose, Yukimura Kazuya, Amagiri Kazutake, and Shiranui Shin]] in Hakuoki's distant prequel game ''Toki no Kizuna''.* ThisIsUnforgivable: There are a number of examples in the game, the most emphatic being Chizuru and then Hijikata's furious declarations to Kazama after the latter [[spoiler:kills Inoue]], and the Shinsengumi's reactions to [[spoiler:Kondou's beheading]].* TitleDrop: In the final episode, it is revealed that "Hakuoki" is actually [[spoiler: the name Chikage gives Hijikata as acknowledgement that Hijikata is worthy of being called an oni. It means, roughly, "pale cherry-blossom demon," as per the game's localized title]].* TitleThemeDrop[=/=]LastEpisodeThemeReprise: The title music starts playing for the first time during the game just as Hijikata and Kazama are about to have their climactic final duel.* {{Tragedy}}* TraumaticHaircut: In ''Reimeiroku'', Serizawa gets angry at a pair of geisha who refuse to dance naked for him, and demands their hair be cut off - a very big deal, since they won't be able to keep working as geisha with short hair. Hijikata and either Ibuki or Saito end up forced to do the deed. * TrueCompanions: [[DownerEnding Together till the end]].* VisualNovel: ''Shinsengumi Kitan'', ''Zuisouroku'', and ''Reimeiroku''.* WarIsHell: Especially when seen from Chizuru's angle in the Normal route.* [[WeNamedTheMonkeyJack We Named The Cat Toshizo]]: [[http://tokio-fujita.livejournal.com/647.html In one of the drama CDs]]. Hijikata is not amused when he finds out.* WholesomeCrossdresser: Chizuru is rarely given the chance to dress as a woman. * WorthLivingFor: In each of their respective routes, Hijikata, Okita, and Heisuke all end up finding a new reason to live in Chizuru after everything else they've valued has been destroyed or lost all meaning.* WorthyOpponent: Hijikata to Kazama, eventually. Saito to Amagiri. * {{Youkai}}* YouShallNotPass: [[spoiler:Inoue]] in Hijikata's route and in the anime, [[SenselessSacrifice although it doesn't accomplish much]]. [[spoiler:Saito]] in episode 19 of the anime as well. None of them ever work[[note]]although historically, Saito survived his final battle and was taken prisoner under a fake name[[/note]].

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[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hakuouki_anime_01_1003.jpg]]->''At the end of an era, the men of the Shinsengumi struggle to uphold the samurai ideal. When a young girl is thrust into their midst, she finds herself irrevocably tied to to their tragic fate.''

In Kyoto, Japan, near the end of the [[JidaiGeki Edo period]], a young boy is being chased through the streets at night by a pair of revolutionaries loyal to the Emperor. Hiding in an alley, the boy is horrified to witness his pursuers' brutal murder at the hands of demonic looking men with [[RedEyesTakeWarning glowing red eyes]], who laugh maniacally as they hack their victims to pieces. When the fiends turn their attention to the boy, his life is only spared by the timely appearance of two samurai belonging to a group of powerful warriors loyal to the Shogun, known as the {{Shinsengumi}}. Unsure just where the boy's loyalties lie, the Shinsengumi take him into custody and return him to their headquarters.

The next day, they are shocked to discover that the "boy" being held prisoner is, in fact, a ''girl'' named Chizuru Yukimura. Chizuru came to Kyoto in search of her missing father, an accomplished doctor of western medicine who she suddenly lost contact with several months ago. When the Shinsengumi reveal that they too have been in search of Dr. Yukimura in relation to the strange attacks that have been plaguing the city, they allow Chizuru to remain under their care and assist with the search. Agreeing to continue living as a boy so as not to distract the men who serve her new benefactors, Chizuru quickly becomes acclimated to their lifestyle and grows to genuinely care for each of them.

Her life soon becomes anything but peaceful, as the Shinsengumi's enemies seek to overthrow the Shogun and those loyal to him at any cost. At the same time, both the numbers and ferocity of the crazed men that Chizuru's protectors cryptically refer to as "failed soldiers" continue to increase. In the midst of one of the most chaotic eras in Kyoto's history, Chizuru grows determined to do everything she can to protect the lives of her new comrades.

'''''Hakuōki''''' (often [[JapaneseRomanization romanized]] as '''''Hakuouki''''' or '''''Hakuoki''''') is a popular video game franchise developed by Otomate, IdeaFactory, and originally released in Japan in 2008. The series comprises eight different games: two main titles and a fan-disc first released on the PlayStation2, two spinoffs, and three handheld [[GaidenGame gaiden games]]. Most of the games have been ported to multiple platforms (namely: PlayStationPortable, PlayStation3, NintendoDS and Nintendo3DS).

!!!!The Games:* ''Hakuōki ~Shinsengumi Kitan~'' (2008): The first of the two main titles; a [[HistoricalFiction historical]] [[VisualNovel visual novel]] with some [[RomanceGame romance game]] elements.** ''Hakuoki ~Demon of the Fleeting Blossom~'' (2012): The [[http://www.siliconera.com/2011/07/02/hakuoki-demon-of-the-fleeting-blossom-will-be-north-americas-first-otome-game/ North American version of the PSP port]], released by AksysGames.** ''Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi'' (2013): the [[http://www.aksysgames.com/2013/04/23/everlasting-memories-await-you-with-the-men-of-hakuoki/ North American version of the 3DS port]], also released by Aksys.* ''Hakuōki Zuisōroku'' (2009): A collection of side-stories which take place during the events of ''Shinsengumi Kitan''. A visual novel with romance game elements.* ''Hakuōki Yūgiroku'' (2010): A [[MiniGameGame collection of mini-games]] featuring the cast of ''Shinsengumi Kitan''.* ''Hakuōki Reimeiroku'' (2010): The second of the main titles; a historical visual novel and the [[{{Prequel}} prequel]] to ''Shinsengumi Kitan''.* ''Hakuōki Bakumatsu Musōroku'' (2012): A [[HackAndSlash hack-and-slash]] game featuring the cast of ''Shinsengumi Kitan''.** ''Hakuoki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi'' (2013) : The North American localization by Aksys Games.* ''Hakuōki Yūgiroku II: Matsuri Hayashi to Taishitachi'' (2012)* ''Toki no Kizuna ~Sekigahara Kitan~'' (2012): A prequel VisualNovel set in [[JidaiGeki Sengoku period]]. Although it does not share the Hakuōki title, it takes place in the same world, focusing on the oni involvement in the Battle of Sekigahara which Sen and Amagiri mention during ''Shinsengumi Kitan,'' and featuring in its main cast ancestors of several of the original game's oni characters.** ''Toki no Kizuna Hanayuitsuzuri'' (2013): A sequel/side-story to the first ''Sekigahara Kitan''.* ''Urakata Hakuōki'' (2013): A spinoff VisualNovel described as "an 'if' story of Hakuōki," featuring main characters from the opposing side of the original game's conflict.* ''Hakuouki SSL ~Sweet School Life~'' (2013): Another spinoff visual novel set in an AlternateUniverse, with Chizuru and the Shinsengumi attending a modern high school.

The visual novels have been adapted into [[AnimeOfTheGame an anime series]] by StudioDEEN and licensed for release in English by SentaiFilmworks.

* AchillesHeel: Due to their ability to [[HealingFactor instantly heal their wounds]], the Oni and the Rasetsu are [[NighInvulnerable nigh invulnerable]]. They must be stabbed through the heart or decapitated [[DeaderThanDead in order to be killed]].* AdaptationDistillation[=/=]AdaptationExpansion: The anime mainly follows Hijikata's route in the game but adds important scenes from other routes as well as anime-original endings for [[spoiler:Okita and Sanosuke]], who simply disappear in Hijikata's game route. * AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Hijikata to Okita regarding Kondou.* TheAnimeOfTheGame* AnnoyingPatient: Hijikata must constantly stay on Okita's case to keep him out of battle when his health starts going downhill. However, Hijikata himself proves to be an even worse case, as not even Chizuru's best efforts can keep him from running himself ragged; it takes Saito delivering a very pointed smackdown to keep him from taking to the front lines while still badly injured from the battle of Utsunomiya Castle. * AnyoneCanDie: Given the fate of the real-life Shinsengumi, a major character body count is only to be expected.* AssKickingPose: Nearly every single character has one of these in the game.* BandOfBrothers: The Shinsengumi start out as something of a RagtagBunchOfMisfits (in ''Reimeiroku'') and slowly evolve into a BadassCrew, before everything ultimately starts falling apart.* BadassBoast: Hijikata is in no short supply of these. * BigDamnHeroes: Barring a bad end, any time Chizuru is in trouble ''someone'' from the Shinsengumi can be counted on to appear out of nowhere in the nick of time to save her. Hijikata deserves special mention for doing it something like four times in his route. They occasionally pull it for one another as well, such as when [[spoiler:Sanosuke, Shinpachi, and Heisuke all show up in Saito's route to help him take down Kazama]]. * {{Bishonen}}: EVERYWHERE.* BittersweetEnding: Each of the character endings in the game. [[spoiler: Particularly Okita's as he's still dying of tuberculosis on top of living on borrowed time as a fury. Harada's is the only route to mostly avoid the trope and have a genuinely happy ending, but even then the Shinsengumi are no more, the shogunate has fallen, the samurai class has become obsolete, and most of the main cast are dead]].* BladeOnAStick: Sanosuke's preferred weapon is a spear.* BlondGuysAreEvil: Kazama.* BreakTheBadass: This happens to virtually everyone fighting on the losing side of the revolution. Hijikata gets it particularly hard.* ByronicHero: Hijikata. With loss after loss he eventually loses sight of his original TragicDream and decides to live on for the sake of the ones he cares about.* CastFromLifespan: Rasetsu gain [[StockSuperPowers various powers]] at the cost of shortening their lives. * CastFullOfPrettyBoys: Justified since this is about a [[{{Shinsengumi}} military sect]], though the presence of Chizuru makes this more of a ReverseHarem situation.* TheChick: Chizuru quickly becomes this for the Shinsengumi, and the feminine touch she adds to the group is welcomed by most of its members.* CherryBlossom: Both in the title and the final scene of the anime.* ConservationOfNinjutsu: To a point. The Shinsengumi captains and most of the oni are orders of magnitude more effective in combat than any unnamed {{mook}} and are constantly shown mowing them down in droves. On the other hand, the lesser numbers on the shogunate side put the Shinsengumi at a disadvantage throughout the Boshin War, a fact that loses them no few battles. When they learn that Koufu Castle has already been occupied by the enemy, Saito delivers a very grim estimate of the kind of numbers they would need in comparison to the enemy to have any chance of successfully taking the place, and when only one of the three Ezo Republic warships manages to make it to the Battle of Miyako, it dooms the planned surprise attack to failure.* CostumePorn: And ''how''.* CulturalTranslation:** [[{{Youkai}} Oni]]: Demons in the Aksys Games translation, devils in the Sentai Filmworks translation of the anime.** Rasetsu: Furies.** Ochimizu: Water of Life.* CustomUniform: When the Shinsengumi make the change to Western-style uniforms, the rank-and-file troops (and Shimada) wear the plain black uniforms of the period, but Hijikata and all of the captains don incredibly stylish custom outfits with little resemblance to one another aside from a general trend of {{Badass Longcoat}}s and [[WaistcoatOfStyle Waistcoats of Style]].* DeclarationOfProtection: Once they've taken her in, the Shinsengumi captains are entirely committed to protecting Chizuru no matter what difficulty it causes them, and nearly to a man they respond indignantly to any suggestion that it might be better for her to leave, taking it as questioning their ability to handle the challenge.* DespairSpeech: Hijikata when Kondou sacrifices himself so he may live.* {{Determinator}}: All of the Shinsengumi members, but especially Okita and Hijikata. The latter pretty much just stops sleeping entirely for a while after the retreat from Kyoto to Edo.* DiabolusExMachina: Some of the bad endings get kind of gratuitous. A particular example would be the bad end in the last chapter of Hijikata's route: that [[spoiler:he and Kazama [[MutualKill kill one another]]]] is not surprising, but then [[spoiler:Chizuru is fatally shot immediately afterwards just to cap it off]].* DirtyBusiness: Hijikata's opinion of [[spoiler:Itou's assassination]], in nearly so many words: "This is our duty, but that doesn't mean we have to be proud of it. Sometimes the path's dirty."* DistractedFromDeath: In the anime, [[spoiler:Yamazaki]] dies while Chizuru has turned away to prepare water and medicine for him and is cheerfully telling him that he needs to hurry up and get better.* DontYouDarePityMe: Everyone to Chizuru.* DoomedMoralVictor: [[spoiler: The Shinsengumi, from [[{{Narrator}} Chizuru's point of view]] in the Normal route.]]* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: The WHOLE of ''Hekketsuroku'', minus the first 2 or 3 episodes, is basically one long cathartic trip. Likewise, the Normal Ending in the original game is ''extremely'' depressing.]]* TheDulcineaEffect: Surprisingly averted in the early stages of the story - finding out that Chizuru is a girl doesn't have a lot of influence on most of the main characters' attitudes toward her, and they're quite blunt about the possibility that they may have to kill her in order to protect the Shinsengumi. * EmergencyTransformation* EndOfAnAge: The end of an era is one of main themes in ''Hakuouki''.* AFateWorseThanDeath: The game's bad endings, when they don't involve Chizuru's death, sometimes turn in this direction; for example, one bad ending of Sanosuke's route has Kazama catching Chizuru alone, followed by Chizuru's narration saying only that she has no desire to tell what happened after that or how she spent the rest of her days.* FiringOneHanded: Whenever Kyou shoots his gun.* FriendlyEnemy: Despite facing off on several different occasions, Harada Sanosuke and Shiranui Kyo rarely seem to bear one another much real ill will. Almost every time they fight, Chizuru observes that their banter and broad smiles make it seem like they're having a wonderful time. In Harada's route and in the anime, [[spoiler:they unsurprisingly end up as allies of sorts.]]* FromBadToWorse: Season 1 of the anime follows the Shinsengumi as they gain power but season 2 show their decline and remains quite [[AnyoneCanDie faithful]] [[ForegoneConclusion to history]].* GenkiGirl: Sen-hime. * GoodIsOldFashioned: Embodied in Kondou.* GraspTheSun: Souji in the second OP. * GreyAndGrayMorality* HackAndSlash: ''Hakuouki Bakumatsu Musouroku''.* HardWorkHardlyWorks: The show repeatedly and brutally shoots down anyone who says that warriors must fight to the end and that perseverance will prevail.* HalfIdenticalTwin: [[spoiler: Chizuru and Kaoru.]]* HelloInsertNameHere: Since all the games starring Chizuru allow players to change her first name, her name is never mentioned in voiced dialogue. This is averted by ''Reimeiroku'' and ''Bakumatsu Musouroku'' which don't give the player the option at all. Ryuunosuke and Chizuru's names are spoken quite frequently in them.* HelpMistakenForAttack: The early days of the Roshigumi, back when Serizawa was in charge and giving the organization a bad name.* HeroWithBadPublicity: [[SympatheticPOV The Shinsengumi]], particularly in ''Reimeiroku''.* HeroicRROD* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Most of the Shinsengumi in the anime, apart from Hijikata]].* HeroicSpirit: Displayed, in varying degrees, by each of the main characters: ** HeroicResolve** HeroicSecondWind** HeroicWillpower* HeterosexualLifePartners: Harada and Nagakura in the game.* HighSchoolAU: The fan disc contains an unlockable [[SideStoryBonusArt sequence of illustrations]] called "''Hakuouki SSL''" (''Sweet School Life''): a short parody of set in a modern day high school. An animated version was included at the end of the [[BonusMaterial special episodes]] that were offered to fans who bought ''Hekketsuroku'' on DVD, and the concept was later developed into a spinoff VisualNovel.* HistoricalBeautyUpdate* [[HistoricalDomainCharacter Historical Domain Characters]]* HistoricalFiction: With a touch of HistoricalFantasy.* HonorBeforeReason: All of the Shinsengumi, in fact probably the whole point of the story.* IAmAMonster: Several characters, especially [[spoiler:Heisuke]] in his route and also including [[spoiler:Sanan and Okita]], feel this way about their transformation into Rasetsu. Contrast with [[spoiler:Saito and Hijikata; Saito in particular tells Chizuru ahead of time in his route that if duty led him to become a Rasetsu he would not consider it any different from anything else he's done in the service of the Shinsengumi up to that point, and true to his word never looks back once the deed is done]]. * ImplausibleFencingPowers: Whenever [[DodgeTheBullet Sanosuke fights Kyou]].* IneffectualDeathThreat: Okita to Chizuru several time throughout the series.* IncurableCoughOfDeath: [[HistoricalDomainCharacter Three guesses who]].* TheInfiltration** [[spoiler: When Hajime leaves the Shinsengumi for Itou's Guardians of the Imperial Tomb]].** [[spoiler: When Sannan-san "joins forces" with Koudou]].* ImportantHaircut: Most of the main characters get one in the second half of ''Shinsengumi Kitan'', [[RuleOfSymbolism as they are forced to move with the times]].* JapaneseSpirit: Referenced by name when Shiranui quotes Takasugi Shinsaku, and of great importance to the Shinsengumi, Hijikata especially... albeit cast in a more bittersweet light than usual. Resolve and persistence are presented as great virtues of the Shinsengumi, but at the same time it's clear that "fighting spirit" is not enough to make up for the disadvantages they face in the Boshin War. * JerkassFacade: Hijikata deliberately cultivates his demonic image in order to play the [[GoodCopBadCop Bad Cop to Kondou's Good Cop]]. * JidaiGeki: The Bakumatsu period, the [[EndOfAnAge end]] of the Edo era.* KickingAssInAllHerFinery: The main characters get incredibly fancy Western costumes in the second season and conveniently kick more ass in them. * KidHero: Heisuke.* [[spoiler: KillEmAll: The anime's second season.]]* TheKnightsWhoSaySquee: In the beginning everyone thinks the world of [[TheHeart Kondou]], who himself admires the generals in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.* KnowWhenToFoldEm: Shinpachi and Sanosuke, in contrast to Kondou and the other captains, [[spoiler:leave the Shinsengumi when they see the writing on the wall after Koufu, which is one of the reasons that Sanosuke's route has the happiest ending in the game]]. * LastStand: [[spoiler: Harada, Okita, and Saitou.]]* TheLoad: Chizuru, a fact that she's well aware of and frets about often in the game's narration.* MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter: Koudou certainly qualifies as a MadScientist, and Chizuru, despite crossdressing as a boy, is admittedly [[BeautifulAllAlong beautiful]].* ManlyTears: Hijikata for both [[spoiler: Kondou and Okita]].* MercyKill: ** Sanan requests one from Okita after [[spoiler:his modified ochimizu fails to work the way he'd hoped]], although he ends up surviving. ** In bad endings in Saito and Hijikata's routes, Amagiri chooses to kill Chizuru specifically because he feels it would be more merciful than allowing her to suffer at Kazama's hands.* MiniGameGame: ''Yuugiroku'' and ''Yuugiroku 2''.* MoodWhiplash* {{Mooks}}* MoreExpendableThanYou: Hijikata tries to pull this on Kondou, but Kondou isn't having any of it. In the anime, [[spoiler:Kondou's choice to surrender and entrust the Shinsengumi to Hijikata prompts Okita to perform a LastStand protecting Hijikata]].* MultipleEndings* NoBodyLeftBehind: Rasetsu crumble into dust when their lifeforce is used up. This happens to [[spoiler:Heisuke and Sannan-san]] and is heavily implied to have happened to [[spoiler: Okita]].* NotWhatItLooksLike: In his route in ''Zuisoroku'' and his OVA, Hijikata runs into a snag when he tries to extricate Chizuru from her brief stint spying at Sumiya - onlookers take her for the geisha she's dressed as and assume he's either kidnapping her or trying to elope with her without clearing her debt. Trying to explain that she's not actually a geisha fails to convince anyone, and it apparently takes Hijikata a while afterwards to live down the rumors.* OriginalVideoAnimation: ''Hakuouki Sekkaroku''.* OurVampiresAreDifferent: Rasetsu are turned by drinking the Ochimizu, a red liquid originally made from demonic blood. Like vampires, they are [[WeakenedByTheLight nocturnal creatures]] that [[BloodLust subsist on blood]].* NonStandardGameOver: [[TheManyDeathsOfYou Lots and lots of them.]]* PanUpToTheSkyEnding:** In the normal ending of the game ''Shinsengumi Kitan'', Chizuru finds herself gazing up at the sky where she sees the backs of her friends in their pale blue haori, [[spoiler: the bright summer day a stark contrast to their fate]].** ''Hekketsuroku'''s ending is heavily based on the normal ending. [[spoiler: Chizuru sees a vision of the Shinsengumi's banner, "Makoto" (sincerity), fluttering overhead and then, one by one, the men who fought under it]].** Ibuki's portion of of Hijikata's route in ''Reimeiroku'' ends with Ibuki staring at the horizon over the Tama River. The final scene features a cloudy sunset.** ''Reimeiroku'', the anime, ends with a view of the sky.* PaperThinDisguise: Hijikata, Saitou, and Okita recognize Chizuru as a girl the moment she speaks, and Harada and Sanan at least suspect. Only Kondou, Heisuke and Nagakura are actually surprised to learn of her sex.* PostVictoryCollapse: [[spoiler: The anime ends with Hijikata finally defeating Kazama and then collapsing into Chizuru's arms]].* ThePowerOfFriendship: Ultimately, Chizuru becomes one of the strongest things holding the Shinsengumi captains together. Pretty much everyone who leaves or dies has to part with her in particular.* {{Prequel}}: ''Hakuouki Reimeiroku''.* PsychoSerum: The Ochimizu has:** ...its [[SuperSerum pros]]:*** StockSuperpowers: The powers it grants are similar to those of the Oni.** ...and [[TheCorruption cons]]:*** BloodLust: The Rasetsu often experience a craving for blood.*** HarmfulHealing: Their regenerative powers [[CastFromLifespan come at a steep price]].*** [[WeakenedByTheLight Weakness to Sunlight]]*** [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity Insanity]]: [[TragicMonster Most of them]] end up [[AxCrazy losing their minds]] shortly after taking the Ochimizu.* PurpleEyes: [[PurpleIsPowerful Hijikata]], Yamazaki, [[SupernaturalIsPurple Shiranui, and Kimigiku]].* RagtagBandOfMisfits: The Shinsengumi captains. Kondou and Hijikata are the sons of farmers who wouldn't even be allowed to carry swords if the Shinsengumi had not received special permission to do so; Saito is a left-handed swordsman and an exile from his home domain; Heisuke is the bastard son of the Lord of Tsu; Okita is an orphan. By ''Shinsengumi Kitan'' the group has achieved some legitimacy, but ''Reimeiroku'' shows more clearly how unlikely a bunch they are.* RedEyesTakeWarning: The Rasetsu, who are most certainly [[AxCrazy psychotic]], and Kazama, who is even more incredibly dangerous.* RedLightDistrict: Shimabara and Yoshiwara.* RelationshipValues: The player's primary objective in ''Shinsengumi Kitan'' and ''Reimeiroku'' is to forge a bond between the protagonist and one of the main characters. Failing to do so often leads to [[YouLoseAtZeroTrust tragic consequences]], [[spoiler: ranging from [[TheManyDeathsOfYou death]] to [[SurvivorsGuilt survivor guilt]]]].* RomanceGame: ''Hakuouki ~Shinsengumi Kitan~'' and its fan-disc, ''Hakuouki Zuisouroku''.* {{Ronin}}* RunningGag: Hijikata's godawful haiku.* {{Samurai}}: No kidding.* SamuraiPonytail: Pretty much everyone before the switch to Western uniforms. * SchrodingersGun: The characterizations of Kazama, Sanan, and to a lesser extent Koudou vary in the game depending on which route you end up on. In addition, Kaoru is only relevant to the plot in Okita's route and disappears completely from all others.* {{Seppuku}}: Well, this thing ''is'' about samurai.* TheShinsengumi: [[CaptainObvious No, really]]?* ShipperOnDeck: Sen just generally wants Chizuru to be happy, but in Hijikata's route of the game she's actively encouraging of Chizuru's feelings for him, even before Chizuru is sure of her feelings herself. * ShirtlessScene: A [[{{Fanservice}} gratituitous]] Shinsengumi health inspection that even involved a [[PecFlex flex-off]]! {{Parodied}} in ''Sweet School Life''.* SilverBullet: Silver counteracts the Rasetsu HealingFactor, something that the Shinsengumi learn unpleasantly when their enemies start using silver bullets. In Okita's route, taking several of these puts him out of commission until after the Koufu debacle.* SingleStrokeBattle: [[spoiler:Hijikata versus Kazama at the end of Hijikata's route of the game. In his good ending, Hijikata avoids Kazama's blade; in the bad ending it's a MutualKill.]]* SourOutsideSadInside: Hijikata in spades. * SpoilerOpening: The opening sequence of the first season shows [[spoiler:Hijikata's transformation into a Rasetsu]], which only occurs in the last episode of the season. The end sequence of the same season more or less spoils [[spoiler:Kaoru's status as a villain]].* StockSuperpowers: The Oni and, to a lesser degree, the Rasetsu possess all of the following powers:** HealingFactor** SuperReflexes** SuperSpeed** SuperStrength** SuperToughness* TheStoic: Saitou and, to a lesser extent, Hijikata. Also Amagiri Kyuuju, who always fights rather grudgingly, and has several ''extremely'' polite and understated confrontations with Saitou.* SubmissiveBadass: Everyone in the Shinsengumi under Kondou. Special mention goes to Saitou, who does virtually everything Hijikata asks him to do.* SuddenlyVoiced: Chizuru isn't voiced in any of the games that feature her as the protagonist, but she is in ''Reimeiroku'' and ''Bakumatsu Musouroku''.* SupernaturalGoldEyes: When a demon activates their full power, their eyes turn bright gold. The trope is subverted, on the other hand, by Sanosuke, who has golden eyes but is completely human and [[spoiler:is the only potential love interest in the game who never drinks the Water of Life in any route]].* SuperMode: The Oni become more powerful when they [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shift]] into their demonic forms.* SuperSoldier: The Rasetsu Corps was initially meant to be a squad of super soldiers. [[GoneHorriblyWrong However]], their many [[WeakSauceWeakness weaknesses]] tend to make deploying them a [[FlawedPrototype very bad idea]].* SweetPollyOliver: Chizuru dresses as a boy when she travels alone to Kyoto because openly traveling alone as a woman would be much more difficult and more dangerous. When she enters the protection of the Shinsengumi, she keeps up the facade at Hijikata's insistence to avoid causing problems with the group's rank-and-file soldiers. * SwordFight: The bread and butter of the series.* TakingTheBullet: [[spoiler:Okita for Chizuru]] in his route, [[spoiler:just as intended by Kaoru]]. [[spoiler: Chizuru for Sanosuke]] in his route. Examples which involve swords instead of actual bullets include [[spoiler:Yamazaki for Hijikata]], [[spoiler:Koudou for Chizuru]] in several routes, [[spoiler:Okita for Chizuru again]] in one of his bad endings, and [[spoiler:Chizuru for Hijikata]] in one of ''his'' bad endings.* TalkingIsAFreeAction: Almost everyone gets one last speech, be they a speech before a HeroicSacrifice in the middle of battle with explosions all around stopping for the speech, or the FinalSpeech after being mortally wounded.* TeamSpirit* ThemeNaming: Oni names tend to have the character "千" ("a thousand") incorporated into them, either directly or as a component of another kanji. Characters whose names sport this character include [[spoiler:Chizuru, Sen, Kazama (in his given name of Chikage), and Kaoru]], as well as [[spoiler:Kazama Chitose, Yukimura Kazuya, Amagiri Kazutake, and Shiranui Shin]] in Hakuoki's distant prequel game ''Toki no Kizuna''.* ThisIsUnforgivable: There are a number of examples in the game, the most emphatic being Chizuru and then Hijikata's furious declarations to Kazama after the latter [[spoiler:kills Inoue]], and the Shinsengumi's reactions to [[spoiler:Kondou's beheading]].* TitleDrop: In the final episode, it is revealed that "Hakuoki" is actually [[spoiler: the name Chikage gives Hijikata as acknowledgement that Hijikata is worthy of being called an oni. It means, roughly, "pale cherry-blossom demon," as per the game's localized title]].* TitleThemeDrop[=/=]LastEpisodeThemeReprise: The title music starts playing for the first time during the game just as Hijikata and Kazama are about to have their climactic final duel.* {{Tragedy}}* TraumaticHaircut: In ''Reimeiroku'', Serizawa gets angry at a pair of geisha who refuse to dance naked for him, and demands their hair be cut off - a very big deal, since they won't be able to keep working as geisha with short hair. Hijikata and either Ibuki or Saito end up forced to do the deed. * TrueCompanions: [[DownerEnding Together till the end]].* VisualNovel: ''Shinsengumi Kitan'', ''Zuisouroku'', and ''Reimeiroku''.* WarIsHell: Especially when seen from Chizuru's angle in the Normal route.* [[WeNamedTheMonkeyJack We Named The Cat Toshizo]]: [[http://tokio-fujita.livejournal.com/647.html In one of the drama CDs]]. Hijikata is not amused when he finds out.* WholesomeCrossdresser: Chizuru is rarely given the chance to dress as a woman. * WorthLivingFor: In each of their respective routes, Hijikata, Okita, and Heisuke all end up finding a new reason to live in Chizuru after everything else they've valued has been destroyed or lost all meaning.* WorthyOpponent: Hijikata to Kazama, eventually. Saito to Amagiri. * {{Youkai}}* YouShallNotPass: [[spoiler:Inoue]] in Hijikata's route and in the anime, [[SenselessSacrifice although it doesn't accomplish much]]. [[spoiler:Saito]] in episode 19 of the anime as well. None of them ever work[[note]]although historically, Saito survived his final battle and was taken prisoner under a fake name[[/note]].

-----[[redirect:VisualNovel/Hakuouki]]

Reason: I\'m moving this to the Visual Novel Namespace because that\'s a more fitting place for it.

* YouShallNotPass: [[spoiler:Inoue]] in Hijikata's route and in the anime, [[SenselessSacrifice although it doesn't accomplish much]]. [[spoiler:Saito]] in episode 19 of the anime as well. None of them ever work[[hottip:*:although historically, Saito survived his final battle and was taken prisoner under a fake name]].

to:

* YouShallNotPass: [[spoiler:Inoue]] in Hijikata's route and in the anime, [[SenselessSacrifice although it doesn't accomplish much]]. [[spoiler:Saito]] in episode 19 of the anime as well. None of them ever work[[hottip:*:although work[[note]]although historically, Saito survived his final battle and was taken prisoner under a fake name]].name[[/note]].

* AdaptationDistillation[=/=]AdaptationExpansion: The anime mainly follows Hijikata's route in the game but adds important scenes from other routes as well as anime-original endings for [[spoiler:Okita and Sanosuke]], who simply disappear in Hijikata's game route.* AlwaysSaveTheGirl: [[{{Understatement}} Gets grating at times]].

to:

* AdaptationDistillation[=/=]AdaptationExpansion: The anime mainly follows Hijikata's route in the game but adds important scenes from other routes as well as anime-original endings for [[spoiler:Okita and Sanosuke]], who simply disappear in Hijikata's game route.* AlwaysSaveTheGirl: [[{{Understatement}} Gets grating at times]].route.

Reason: Not an example. The trope is about prioritizing the girl\'s safety over everything else. The Shinsengumi commit themselves to protecting Chizuru, but there are hardly any instances of any of them abandoning other priorities over it.

* TheDulcineaEffect: Surprisingly averted in the anime. In the beginning, Hijikata is the only one willing to give Chizuru a chance to live because she's an innocent.

to:

* TheDulcineaEffect: Surprisingly averted in the anime. In early stages of the beginning, Hijikata is the only one willing to give story - finding out that Chizuru is a chance girl doesn't have a lot of influence on most of the main characters' attitudes toward her, and they're quite blunt about the possibility that they may have to live because she's an innocent. kill her in order to protect the Shinsengumi.

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